Conventionally, for specifying a plurality of pieces of data related to music, video, photographs, and the like in batches as a processing object, data grouping methods are used which involve managing data with a single folder, managing data using a list such as a so-called playlist, and the like.
However, with such management methods, once data is grouped, specifying data included in a certain group together with data not belonging to the same group as processing objects requires creating a new folder or a new playlist, consequently forcing a user to perform cumbersome operations.
In addition, for specifying data as processing objects across a plurality of groups, a method is also used in which all pieces of data are set as processing objects regardless of grouping. For example, there are playback devices which allow selection of an option of specifying all existing data as playback objects when performing random playback, shuffle playback, or the like on all pieces of data including music, videos, photographs, and the like. However, these methods simply treat all pieces of data as processing objects and fail to consider attributes or similarities of data or groups.
Furthermore, for extracting processing objects with consideration for attributes and similarities of data, a method is also used in which contents and meta-information of data are referenced to automatically extract similar data as processing objects (a method commonly referred to as a smart folder, a smart playlist, a smart search, or the like). However, such a method is disadvantageous from the standpoint of resources since automatic extraction necessitate reading data into a memory (for example, by performing an operation to open a file), and problematically keeps users waiting and the like.
An example of an information processing program according to the present disclosure is a program which causes a computer that manages groups of data by means of a tree structure to execute: identifying a superior group from predetermined groups managed by the tree structure by retracing the tree structure by at least one level; and specifying data belonging to a subordinate group that is subordinate to the superior group in the tree structure as a processing object.
The present disclosure is applicable to computers that manage groups of data by means of a tree structure. Application objects of the present disclosure are not limited to computers that manage data by means of a so-called file system or a directory structure. For example, even when audio data, video data, image data, and the like are managed by a database that differs from a so-called file system, the present disclosure can be applied if a group such as a playlist that contains data is managed on the database by means of a tree structure. Therefore, even when an actual folder structure is flat, as long as there is management information that enables management by groups having a tree structure, the present disclosure can be applied and processing objects can be readily specified across groups.
In addition, according to the present disclosure, processing object data can be specified across a plurality of related groups without having to reference meta-information (for example, tag information included in a music file or an image file) or content data contained in data or, in other words, without having to perform a file opening process in which a file is extracted in a memory. However, application objects of the present disclosure are not limited to cases where meta-information and content data contained in data are not referenced. While a greater amount of resources is generally required, a superior group may be identified based on information obtained by referencing meta-information and content data. Furthermore, subordinate groups that are subordinate to a superior group refer to groups connected to the superior group on a lower level side in a tree structure. In addition to groups that are directly subordinate to the superior group (in other words, lower by one level than the superior group), subordinate groups also include groups that are indirectly subordinate to the superior group via another subordinate group (in other words, lower by two or more levels than the superior group).
Moreover, a program according to the present disclosure may cause the computer to further execute selecting data by a predetermined process, wherein in the superior group identifying, the superior group may be identified by identifying a superior group that is higher by at least one level from a group containing the data selected in the data selecting.
In addition, a program according to the present disclosure may cause the computer to further execute selecting a group by a predetermined process, wherein in the superior group identifying, the superior group may be identified by identifying a superior group that is higher by at least one level from the group selected in the group selecting.
According to the present disclosure, by selecting data or a group by a predetermined process and identifying a superior group using the data or the group as a starting point, data with high degrees of association can be preferentially included in the processing objects. Examples of the predetermined process include a process of random selection from data or groups that satisfy a predetermined condition and a process of random selection from all pieces of data or all groups.
Furthermore, in the data selecting, data may be selected by a process of selecting data from data satisfying a predetermined condition.
Moreover, in the group selecting, a group may be selected by a process of selecting a group from groups that satisfy a predetermined condition.
According to the present disclosure, by selecting data or a group from data or groups that satisfy a predetermined condition and identifying a superior group using the data or the group as a starting point, data with high degrees of association with the predetermined condition can be preferentially included in the processing objects. Examples of the predetermined condition include a frequency of use that is equal to or higher than a predetermined order and a frequency of use that is equal to or higher than a predetermined threshold. As described above, when data or a group that satisfies a predetermined condition is selected, meta-information and content data contained in the data included in the group may be referenced.
In addition, in the data selecting, data may be selected by a process of selecting data from data satisfying the predetermined condition that includes a condition regarding a frequency of use of data.
Furthermore, in the group selecting, a group may be selected by a process of selecting a group from groups satisfying the predetermined condition that includes a condition regarding a frequency of use of a group.
By selecting data or a group from data or groups satisfying the predetermined condition that includes a condition regarding a frequency of use, a processing object in accordance with a preference or a usage trend of a user can be specified.
For example, in the data selecting, data may be selected by a process of selecting data from data satisfying the predetermined condition that includes a condition requiring a frequency of use of data to be within a predetermined rank from a highest rank.
By selecting data or a group using a method of random selection from a set of data or a set of groups whose frequency of use is equal to or higher than a predetermined rank or a method of random selection from a set of data or a set of groups whose frequency of use is equal to or lower than a predetermined rank, a processing object that is more likely to be favored by a user or a processing object that is normally less likely to be used by the user can be specified.
In addition, in the data selecting, a plurality of pieces of data may be selected by a plurality of predetermined processes differing from each other; in the superior group identifying, a plurality of the superior groups may be identified for each of the plurality of pieces of data selected in the data selecting; and the computer may be caused to further execute displaying group names of the plurality of superior groups identified in the superior group identifying on a display device connected to the computer so as to be selectable by a user.
By selecting a plurality of pieces of data by a plurality of predetermined processes differing from each other and identifying a plurality of the superior groups for each of the plurality of pieces of data, processing objects contained in different superior groups can be selected. In addition, by displaying the group names of the plurality of superior groups selected in this manner so as to be selectable by the user, a range of choices available to the user can be widened.
Furthermore, in the data selecting, a plurality of pieces of data may be selected including data selected by a process of selecting data from data satisfying a predetermined condition, and data selected by a process of selecting data from all pieces of data.
By including data selected by a process of selecting data from all pieces of data in data selected in the data selecting, processing objects contained in a superior group which are unlikely to be selected when a predetermined condition is applied can be added to the choices available to the user in addition to processing objects contained in a superior group identified according to the predetermined condition.
Moreover, the program according to the present disclosure may cause the computer to further execute acquiring a frequency of use of a group by identifying a group containing each piece of data indicated in a data usage history of the computer and compiling the usage history for each identified group, wherein in the group selecting, a group may be selected by a process of selecting a group from groups satisfying the predetermined condition including a condition regarding the frequency of use of group acquired in the use frequency acquiring.
In other words, according to the present disclosure, a frequency of use of a group containing data can be acquired based on a usage history of the data, and a group to become a starting point for identifying a superior group can be selected based on the acquired frequency of use of the group.
In addition, the program according to the present disclosure may cause the computer to further execute determining whether or not there is a plurality of the subordinate groups which contains a predetermined type of data and which is subordinate to the superior group.
According to the present disclosure, by executing the determination to determine whether or not there is a plurality of groups containing data that may potentially be processing objects, a determination can be made on whether or not processing objects are specified across a plurality of groups. Whether or not data contained in a subordinate group is a predetermined type of data can be identified by, for example, referencing file type identification information managed according to extensions of file names or file management information (information including attributes or the like of managed files such as a file management table). However, methods of identifying data types are not limited to the example described above. While a greater amount of resources is generally required, a data type may be identified by opening a file and referencing meta-information or content data.
Furthermore, the program according to the present disclosure may cause the computer to change the predetermined group and re-execute the superior group identifying and the processing object specifying when it is determined in the determination that there is not a plurality of the subordinate groups.
Moreover, the program according to the present disclosure may cause the computer to further execute changing the superior group by further retracing from the superior group identified in the superior group identifying by at least one level when it is determined in the determination that there is not a plurality of the subordinate groups.
In other words, according to the present disclosure, by re-executing the superior group identifying and the processing object specifying or by changing the superior group by further retracing by at least one level, the superior group can be changed when appropriate subordinate groups are not subordinate in plurality to an identified superior group.
In addition, the present disclosure can also be viewed as an information processing device, an information processing system comprising the information processing unit, or a method executed by a computer. Furthermore, the present disclosure may be embodied by a recording of the program described above on a recording medium that is readable by a device such as a computer, a machine, or the like. In this case, a recording medium that is readable by a computer or the like refers to a recording medium which accumulates information such as data or programs by an electric action, a magnetic action, an optical action, a mechanical action, or a chemical action and which can be read by a computer or the like.